Many attempts have been made in the past to support a baby bottle. Babies usually lack the upper body strength to hold a bottle in the feeding position for extended periods of time. Therefore, the bottle must be held by the parent or other handler. In the prior art, there are numerous examples of bottle holding devices:
______________________________________ U.S. Pat. No. Inventor(s) Issue Date ______________________________________ 485,098 Forshew 10/25/92 530,435 Lowerre 12/04/94 2,134,746 Allen 12/31/36 2,344,255 Litchner 3/14/44 2,510,953 Brose et al. 6/13/50 2,631,288 Daust 3/17/53 3,905,571 Lombardo 9/16/75 DES 282,969 Sukoff 03/11/86 4,726,551 Randall et al. 02/23/88 4,799,636 Johnson 01/24/89 4,895,327 Malone et al. 01/23/90 ______________________________________
The following is a brief description of the above cited prior art.
1) U.S. Pat. No. 530,435 is a baby bottle holder consisting of a filled pillow with a broad base to provide support. A passage in the pillow allows the bottle to be slid into the pillow chamber in a secure manner and maintains a nipple in a position that is readily available to the child. The object of the invention is to reduce the time a mother or nurse must spend attending the child.
2) U.S. Pat. No. 2,134,746 illustrates a baby bottle holder comprising a hollow, flexible structure which is to be weighted by filling the said structure with heavy, loose particles such as sand or rice or in a fluid material. The height of the support is defined by the amount of rice put into the hollow chamber.
3) U.S. Pat. No. 2,344,255 discloses the inflatable aspect for making adjustments in the elevation and angle of the bottle holder. A base structure houses an inflatable bellows which is adjusted by opening a valve and applying air pressure by means of a pumping bulb similar to the bulb of a blood pressure cuff.
4) U.S. Pat. No. 2,510,953 is a dual purpose baby bottle holder. During the first six months of the babies life feeding occurs with the baby laying on its side. A cushion pad with a slight incline acts as a base. A second pad is provided with snap fittings and a conical section for supporting the baby bottle. When the child is older preferences change and holding the bottle is more appealing. The upper snap on section may be removed and supported by a string between the sides of the crib. The baby can then grab the bottle when desired without having to support its weight.
5) U.S. Pat. No. 2,631,288 is a bib/bottle holder combination. The bib has an attachment means for securing the baby. The bottle holder has a wedged shape and elastic strap for securing the bottle. A series of snaps are used to attach the bottle holder to the bib. The inclined wedge allows the milk to flow to the nipple.
6) U.S. Pat. No. 3,905,571 is an inflatable baby bottle holder comprising a plastic diabolo shaped support device. The novelty of the present invention is the diabolo shape. Varying the air pressure permits adjustment of the baby bottle so that it retains in the prior position during the feeding period. See FIG. 2 of the patent to understand the diabolo shape.
7) U.S. Pat. No. DES 282,969 is cited only to illustrate a baby bottle holder design patent. This patent illustrates a support device which maintains the bottle at a prescribed angle.
8) U.S. Pat. No. 4,726,551 is a baby body wrap comprising a pillow, a body wrap, a wedge shaped bottle support block and an elastic strap for securing the bottle to the block. This patent illustrates a prior art means of securing the bottle support mechanism to the infant.
9) U.S. Pat. No. 4,799,636 is an automatic baby bottle positioning holder. It comprises a spherical holder with a hollow portion in which the bottle is press fitted. The base of the sphere has a weighted member which is able to change position by shaking the sphere. In practice the mother will insert the baby then shake the sphere to move the weighted member into the desired position. The sphere is placed on the infants chest. Any motion of the infant may displace the sphere which moves back into the proper position under the influence of the weighted mass.
10) U.S. Pat. No. 4,895,327 is a weighted baby bottle holder with a decorative design. The bottle is secured to a weighted mat which lies across the infants chest. A cover is attached atop the bottle such as an animals head. The novelty of the present invention resides in the means of securing the support mechanism to the child.